One of the more popular Bruins of the last decade was given his walking papers by the team Monday.

Shawn Thornton was informed by general manager Peter Chiarelli that he will not return next season. Thornton will become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Originally signed by the Bruins as a free agent in 2007, Thornton has become a cult hero as the Bruins’ enforcer in the Claude Julien era. He had 110 fights in a Boston uniform and became a leader in the dressing room despite usually playing the fewest minutes on the team.

“Today I met with Shawn and we had a good meeting,” Chiarelli told the Bruins' website. “I informed him that we wouldn't be re-signing him. It was good in the sense that we talked about the time Shawn has spent here. He came here and we're talking about seven years, so he was here from almost the beginning. I told him he was one of the most significant acquisitions that we made because for, one, the role that he plays, and two, for the person that he is. It was nice to rehash his time.

“It was sad to tell him that he wasn't coming back, but I wished him well. Shawn was real upfront about it. I wished him luck. I'm sure he'll have success with his next team.”

Thornton, who turns 37 years old in July, said last month that he intended to play at least one more season and possibly two. He and his wife have plans to live in Boston after he hangs up his skates, and he'll have plenty of offers to take up a job as a television analyst.

Thornton has been involved in several charities in the Boston area, including those affiliated with the Shawn Thornton Foundation and the popular Cuts For A Cause event held during the season.

Thornton also chipped in 34 goals and 42 assists in Boston. For the last four seasons, he teamed up with Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell on the Merlot line, which earned a reputation as perhaps the best fourth line in the NHL. Their best hits include turning the tide of Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver and a huge offensive presence against the Rangers during the 2013 playoffs.

However, Thornton and the line slipped this season. The tires looked worn down on the 17-year pro, and he wasn't helped by the 15-game suspension handed down in the middle of the season for slew-footing and cold-cocking Brooks Orpik.

Thornton and the Merlot line were not effective in the postseason, and Chiarelli hinted in his end-of-season press conference that Thornton's time in Boston could be up.

“The role that he played, I thought when he came here, his conditioning really went to the next level,” Chiarelli told the team website. “He was able to form one-third of what was the best fourth line in hockey for a time. Of course, there's the pugilistic component of his game, which is an important part. He was very good about that and that it was a job that not a lot of people like to do, but it was a job that was important. He came and he thrived and was really a common factor in every year. He contributed, he scored some timely goals. He's got some surprising skill for what role he brings. Of course he won a Cup with us, went to the Final again.

“Off the ice, I see him doing a lot of stuff for charitable organizations. He enjoys it, he embraces it. He's a very personable and very genuine guy, so he'll be missed. It's a bit of a sad day, but Shawn is good. He embraced it and the time that he spent here and that's how we look at it.”